The present invention relates to computational toys, and in particular to a rolling toy with motion recording and playback capability.
Most toys designed to teach children about computers, programming, and mathematics operate on the computer screen. While such environments can be stimulative and encourage learning, they are nonetheless an abstraction; the child remains removed from the action as a spectator. By contrast, well-designed physical objects can be more effective learning tools for a variety of reasons. First, unlike a computer, which is intended for general usage, a learning device may be designed with a particular problem in mind. Second, a physical object xe2x80x9clivesxe2x80x9d in the child""s worldxe2x80x94not in an abstract environment that cannot be directly manipulated. Indeed, the role of physical objects in the development of young children has been studied extensively and shown to positively enhance development. As children handle and manipulate objects, their attentions are more actively engaged, allowing them to iterate actions and thereby explore the complex concepts behind their actions; particularly in the case of computational learning, ideas that would otherwise be remote and abstract can intuitively xe2x80x9ccome to lifexe2x80x9d through physical interaction. Unfortunately, the range of manipulatives that teach computational concepts remains limited.
The present invention is an autonomous rolling device in the form of a two-wheeled toy that can record and play back physical motion. The device gives children an intiution for the concepts of functional programming, program execution, vector geometry, and differential geometry through physical manipulation. In a xe2x80x9ctraining mode,xe2x80x9d the child grasps the device and draws it along a surface on a desired path. The motion is sensed and recorded in an internal memory. In a xe2x80x9cplayback mode,xe2x80x9d the previously imparted motion is repeatedxe2x80x94i.e., executed by internal circuitry based on the recorded motion, preferably over and over. The recorded motion need not be limited simply to the path (i.e., the trajectory) along which the device is drawn; instead, the invention may be configured to sense the velocity, acceleration and, if desired, higher-order motion parameters, as well as pauses along the path, thereby replicating the intricacies of the training motion.
Thus, a rolling device in accordance with the invention may comprise a housing provided with a pair of wheels depending therefrom, each driven by a (preferably bidirectional) motor. The rotation of each wheel is monitored by a sensor capable of recording an angular position. This position is recorded in a timestamped fashion at uniform, frequent intervals during the training mode. Naturally, the more samples that are acquired, the greater will be the resolution of the recording and the fidelity of playback.
The device may be configured to replicate the recorded motion in a forward and/or reverse direction. By repeating the motion in reverse, the device executes a xe2x80x9cboomerangxe2x80x9d motion that brings it back to its starting point, from which it may move forward again. In addition, the motion can be speeded, slowed, enlarged, or reduced, as well as interrupted. The device may also be equipped with various accessories, such as a pen that will draw on the surface along which the device moves; environmental sensors (such as bump sensors) that detect a condition and, based thereon, vary the path taken by the device; audio circuitry to add an aural dimension to the device""s capabilities; and communication circuitry to permit movement programming via a computer or by exchange of data with another device.